What is liver palm? Causes of Palmar Palms

The occurrence of liver palms is usually a symptom of chronic hepatitis, especially cirrhosis. In fact, it is also a characteristic manifestation of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. We can judge by the manifestation of these symptoms that there is a disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis.

1. When suffering from chronic hepatitis, especially cirrhosis, the skin at the base of the thumb and little finger on the thenar eminence will appear patchy congestion, or red spots and plaques, which will turn pale after pressure. This type of palm that is different from normal people is called liver palm. Most patients with cirrhosis are prone to liver palms. The main external manifestations of liver palms are: pink spots and plaques on the palms of both hands, the thenar and hypothenar eminences and fingertips, the color of cinnabar, which turn pale when pressure is applied and turn red again after the pressure is released. The color of the palms is normal. If you observe carefully, you can see a large number of expanded and connected punctate and sheet-like small arteries, which in some cases are not only found on the palms, but also on the soles of the feet. Liver palms are one of the important signs of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis

2. Normal men and women have a slightly triangular gland above their kidneys that secretes human hormones, called the adrenal gland. This gland continuously produces estrogen, maintaining a relatively balanced normal level with the androgen produced by the body, thus ensuring the body's normal physiological and biochemical metabolic functions in this regard. In addition, the female ovaries also produce this hormone. Estrogen secreted by the human sexual organs must pass through the liver before its function can be weakened or its activity can be eliminated.

3. However, when the liver has acute or chronic inflammation or other diseases, the ability to inactivate estrogen is significantly reduced, resulting in a large accumulation of estrogen in the body, which causes the dilation of small arteries in the body. Spider nevi are the result of dilation of small arteries on the skin and mucous membranes. Since the dilated arterioles resemble a spider web, if you press the "spider body" with the tip of a pencil, the web-like shape will immediately disappear. This mole is as small as a millet grain, and the largest is 2 to 3 centimeters. There may be 1 to 2 in number, or as many as hundreds. It is often seen above the chest, on the face, neck, upper limbs, and back of hands. The incidence of spider nevi in ​​patients with acute hepatitis is about 1%, while in chronic hepatitis it can reach about 54%. The appearance of spider nevi often parallels the status of liver function. When liver function deteriorates, spider nevi may increase dramatically. After liver function improves, this mole may change from bright red to brown-black and then disappear. Imbalanced estrogen inactivation can also cause capillary dilation, menstrual disorders, testicular atrophy or male breast development in hepatitis patients. In the long run, it can also cause an increase of melanin in skin cells, causing hepatic dark complexion.

4. The occurrence of liver palms does not necessarily mean that there is liver disease. Clinically, many healthy people are often seen to have palmar erythema, but after years of observation, their liver function has been normal and they have never had any liver disease. Therefore, for those who develop liver palms, a comprehensive analysis and judgment should be conducted based on medical history, physical examination, liver function, hepatitis B virus surface antigen, B-ultrasound, scanning and other examinations before a correct conclusion can be made.